Patricia Park, 18-year senior administrative coordinator for the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering, who was described by many as the soul of the department, died Aug. 11, 2025, at 76.
“I originally came into the office under the tutelage of Pat” nine years ago, said Emily Kerr, ChemE undergraduate academic advising manager. “She was a fundamental person in the department. She had been with the University so long ... that her role was culture-defining. She set the tone. It was wonderful to walk into the office when she was so calm and lovely and utterly unflappable. And our relationship grew from that until we were close friends.
“There are a lot of people on campus whose roles seem small or routine because they are doing a similar set of tasks daily,” Kerr offered. “But it’s their good work, their (dedication) to the University, that makes it work. Pat was integral in training all of us to effectively manage our expense reporting ... which is kind of nerve wracking when you think about it. Her best advice was, ‘Just try it, it’ll be OK. There are no mistakes that can’t be corrected.’ She was an amazing woman and we were so much better for her participation here.”
“She was the salt of the earth,” said Adrian Starke, ChemE business manager, who started at the Swanson School in 1995. As the department’s business administrator, Park handled purchasing, among her other duties. “She was our go-to — she had such vast information. She would help anyone – any new staff member. And everybody enjoyed talking to her. She had the most positive attitude.”
“I can just hear her saying, ‘You guys are making too much fuss over me.’ She was one of the best. She was always there for any questions; she was always there to help. I can’t rave about her enough. She always had a smile on her face, even though I knew what was going on in her day. She never complained. She was such a great person.”
The pair shared a love of cats and would trade stories about them – although Park alone was dedicated to taking in strays. Their conversation would begin with Park saying, “‘Well, there is another cat on my porch. I’m not taking this one in,’” Starke recalled, and finish a few days later with an admission that this cat, too, had found a new home in Park’s house. And even when Starke’s cats misbehaved, Park would advise: “‘When you get home, give them a treat.’”
Taryn Bayles, departmental faculty member and vice chair for undergraduate education, called Park “the heart of our Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department for the past 18 years. She supported each of us with unwavering dedication — always efficient, always capable, and always kind. With her quick wit and warm laugh, she brought both professionalism and joy to the workplace. Pat often spoke of her children and grandchildren with immense pride and deep, abiding love.”
“She so enjoyed being a part of the department,” remembered Robert Maniet, ChemE senior electronics specialist. “She was very good at her job. She was often able to reduce costs.” When Maniet’s daughter Rachel was in grade school and came to the office for Take Your Child to Work Day, “Pat more than anybody else in the office took it upon herself to spend time with her and do small craft projects with her. I always did appreciate that.” And when Rachel eventually graduated from their department last December, “Pat was the one staff member who most engaged part of her day with Rachel.”
"Pat was one of the first department members I interacted with when I interviewed in 2015,” said faculty member Susan Fullerton. “She was sort of the ‘front door’ to the department, and I was impressed. Pat quickly made me feel like I was already part of the chemical engineering team. Pat was a bright light in our front office. I always looked forward to interacting with her because she was such a positive force for good and a team player. She was never deterred by a challenge — she simply got to work and often reminded me that we would ‘solve it together.’”
Former department graduate student Riddhesh Patel added: “Pat was an amazing person to work with, whose dedication and kindness made a lasting impact. Throughout my graduate studies, she tirelessly supported me — and many other students — with all our lab purchases, always handling them with care and efficiency. Pat managed every purchase for all the labs in the department, be it equipment, services or lab supplies. During the course of my five years at Pitt, we submitted 250-plus purchase orders — all handled by Pat. That’s just one research lab out of many. The scale of support Pat provided was simply enormous. Her kindness and generosity will be deeply missed.”
— Marty Levine